Furniture Design, Spring 2023
Sophia Corrao
Here you'll find my small collection of hand-crafted furniture from des3322 Furniture Design, spring 2023. These projects are my first few attempts with learning the foundational principles of furniture design, and applying them to my own designs.
project 1 : Identical Trestles
Trestle Retrospective
There are many triangles that can be found within the trestles from almost all orientations. Triangles were a driving motivation in form development for a couple reasons: triangles offer an impressive amount of structural integrity, and there are endless variations in shape which present many opportunities for innovative design. When paired together, the overall silhouette/form of the trestles mirror one another. However, there are a couple inconsistent details between the two. A large knot is clearly visible on the top face of one of the trestles; this piece was intentionally included. This same piece has a red paint stripe which is most likely a residual marking from a lumber yard. Though this element was not intentional, it ended up being recognized as an interesting quality of the piece. The red paint marking tells a story just like the knot in the wood does. Thus, the idea of preserving blemishes for the sake of illustrating the narrative of an item turned into a discussion. If I had removed or concealed the red stripe, I would have sacrificed a quality of the trestle that gave it character and sparked fulfilling conversation. Speaking of, a sentiment of design I am in love with is the fact that furniture is not only something used more often than we recognize, but also something that is observed for an ample amount of its existence. Therefore, a valuable facet of furniture is its appearance and artistic quality. It becomes more lovely when it bares the gift of expression and emotional stimulation. In terms of form, it was difficult to ignore my desire to obsess over the cosmetic elements of the trestles. But, given that the architecture of the trestle is so crucial to its original purpose, it quickly became a worthwhile priority. Which is why I believe building the trestles-before anything else- served as the perfect introduction to my exploration of furniture. At its core, a trestle is a very humble unfussy item, and it allowed me to concentrate on the foundational objectives that are connected with all furniture. Overall this project was helpful in several capacities as a product designer. It gave me new issues to consider, I was challenged, and I feel satisfied by the work I produced.
Sophia Corrao, Spring 2023
Project 2 : Identical Chairs
Chair Retrospective
I struggled to nail down a design that had clear intentions in its form. At first, I toyed with the idea of creating a rocking chair, then a contemporary fainting couch of sorts. But I realized that I needed to start designing the chair around a specific posture and/or orientation. Thus, the idea of creating a chair for cross-legged sitting came to mind. I wanted to allow someone the opportunity to sit with their legs crossed up on the seat of the chair (as demonstrated in the photo). I have always enjoyed sitting this way, because it is familiar, and it feels comfortable for me. The long depth of the seat (20.5”) serves as an affordance for that purpose. In addition, the armrests are also designed to promote crisscrossed sitting: their short length (7.5”) and outward facing position accommodates for the horizontal space needed when sitting cross-legged. On a related note, there is something that feels a bit radical and thrilling about combining an occidental (western) piece of furniture with sitting posture that is commonly practiced by eastern societies that primarily sit on the floor. Sitting cross-legged offers a very grounded feeling, and sitting in a chair elevates your body. The two practices are juxtaposed, and it offers a unique sitting experience. The chair legs are made of red oak hardwood, which was a conscious decision I am pleased with. I wanted to use hardwood to ensure longevity and strength in the chairs. In the future, I would like to upholster the back of the backrests, add a cross-structural beam to the back legs, and varnish the hardwood components. This was an exciting project and it allowed me to dream big. With all of the different characteristics of the chair, I learned several things that were new to me. There were many firsts for me during the build process. For example, bending metal, upholstering the seats and backrests, using a domino cutter for joinery, and exploring a lumber yard for the first time. Working on this project has made me a more confident woodshop user, and I am more capable than ever before. Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and fellow classmates Izzy Mack, who assisted and accompanied me at the lumber yard, and Jack Schutz who kept me company the night before review and helped me in assembling the chairs in the Rapson courtyard. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sophia Corrao, Spring 2023
Project 3 : Screen
(it's moreso a free-standing partition)
Screen Retrospective
The screen project served as a perfect finale in the trilogy of my furniture projects. After completing the trestles and chairs which both came with a set of demanding manufacturing procedures, I grew tired of giving myself over-complicated designs to execute. Going into ideation for the screen, I felt compelled to explore a more simplified design that still reflected what I appreciate in furniture. Above anything, I just wanted to have fun with making the screen. My goal for the screen was to use 90˚angles exclusively to create a streamlined form with uniform details. Although the two separate frames are asymmetrical to each other, the parallel planks and dowels share a kinship of sorts. This gives the screen cohesion in its entirety, which viewers really enjoyed. In itself, a screen serves a very straightforward purpose: creating a sense of privacy and separation between individuals. But, I wanted to incoporate another way in which the screen could be practical to users. That is where the use of the hanger racks (dowels) came into play. I was inspired by the vision of a standing partition in a movie makeover montage (the ones where the woman tries on different outfits behind the partition until she steps out to reveal her new look), and I thought it could be charming to give someone the option of hanging their clothing on the partition. Not to mention, there is sort of a sensual and enticing notion that is associated with the act of undressing behind a screen with assorted textiles that do the work of concealing any bare skin. Conceptually, there is an underrated beauty belonging to an object that can be accessorized by its owner. Thus, on one side, the racks are there for users to drape scarves and other small accessories, and the other side with more negative space is meant to be filled with larger wearables.
Sophia Corrao, Spring 2023